DIY Transformation - Recovering Equity Through Sweat :) - B&A Pics

This will be a thread about making changes through and around my home. I welcome, appreciate, and desire, ALL input, suggestions regarding anything, particularly design and construction method ideas, I am working on, or otherwise anything that you see in house pics that you would change, particularly outdoors. Keep in mind, I am NO expert. All projects from this thread are a diary of all the DIY projects I have ever completed or am working on .

I live in an area with many high-end homes, and while I'm not looking to expand mine to massive size (it's already around 3500 sq ft.), I would like it to be nicely finished, contemporary, and to have some good curb-appeal. Low maintenance, cost, and "green" issues, are on my mind. But first and foremost is to build equity through projects that will have a LARGE % RETURN ON DOLLAR INVESTMENT. I can deal with my own sweat labor. I will post photos of all projects. I hope this can become an educational thread as well for those looking to make changes all around and inside their homes.

Stay tuned, I will be adding pics in next several minutes...

p.s. I know this could be located in remodeling though I have put it here. If y'all think that's wrong I will move... thanks.

DIY Transformation - Recovering Equity Through Sweat :) - B&A Pics

DIY Transformation - Recovering Equity Through Sweat :) - B&A Pics

Bob,

Thanks for the input! We started to powerwash the white paint with the idea of exposing the brick, though have decided to stop, and reprime/paint the areas, and revisit after we finish the whole porch/wall and half-bath projects - otherwise we'll have 10 half finished projects. For the brick, I had been thinking to do a half-wall deal with stone veneer along bottom half, matching the veneered wall I'm making around the porch, and paint/stucco/siding along top half. I am hoping to reside the house with "Certainteed Cedar Impressions Double 7" Straight Edge Perfection" siding in pacific blue or granite grey.

Another project coming up: Veneering / refinishing foundation. I wanted to either veneer the foundation around the house with stone, or restucco it with stucco or surface bonding cement, or maybe a combo. The foundation is currently covered in an old white stucco broom finish, painted white.

I see all these projects together giving the house a nice finished look, but doing them myself means they can't all be done at once , and so my neighbors probably don't love all the mess as I'm doing one project at a time, and they each take time as I'm working as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob22

My only thought is the brick bit needs some color; house seems a bit monochromatic to me (for what that is worth).

DIY Transformation - Recovering Equity Through Sweat :) - B&A Pics

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99altrade

Bob,
I see all these projects together giving the house a nice finished look, but doing them myself means they can't all be done at once , and so my neighbors probably don't love all the mess as I'm doing one project at a time, and they each take time as I'm working as well.

I'm finding in my situation that just keeping my neighbors updated helps a lot. My back yard is an absolute disaster right now; because I didn't finish a project and two different road trips came up. They know it will be torn up until NEXT fall.

Two of my neighbors are actually having work done now because "It's a good time for it".